Wholeness
by princ3ssf33t
Summary: It had been years since he felt this way. And despite his instincts telling him that it was not to last, he wanted to revel in the moment before it disappeared from his grasp. *Shortly after Ezra joins the Lothal Rebels.


Living with abundance was something foreign to Ezra. Raising himself on the streets since he was a boy, fighting against other homeless ruffians and stray animals, learning the best ways to steal from the Empire without being caught, and attempting to scrounge up enough to survive had completely shattered the idea of normalcy. As time passed, the early dreams of going back to the life he once had left him. There was no going back to the time when his parents would be there to tuck him into bed at night, kiss his forehead and whisper they loved him. No going back to when coming home in the rain meant that there would be something warm waiting for him to eat or drink.

On the cold Lothal nights, when Ezra had nothing to fill his stomach, he would sometimes watch as others rushed home imagining what luxuries they would have waiting for them there. Hot food still steaming and a warm bed to sleep all the way through the night. Perhaps they would be able to read the most recent novel of their favorite series on their datapads. All things that Ezra had no knowledge of anymore.

It was only him and the small collection of Stormtrooper helmets alone in his tower.

A knock on the door shook his from his musings and his eyes opened to see that he wasn't in his tower. This was the room he had been given to share with the Lasat while he was aboard the _Ghost_. Right. He was going to a part of their crew now and learn to be a jedi.

"Ezra? Food's ready in the galley. Feel free to join us when you feel like it," Hera's voice was gentle coming through the door. Her footsteps retreated back towards the galley.

Ezra rose from where he was laying down and watched the door for a moment. His stomach rumbled at his hesitation to move towards where the food was. This was the first opportunity he had had in months to truly _eat_. He didn't need to scrabble along to obtain the garbage that someone else had tossed out, nor steal such small amounts to be able to sneak it away without being conspicuous to those around him. He hadn't needed to give them anything in return for their kindness. They offered it with no hesitation and he had jumped at it before he had even realized what he had done. But now doubt was beginning to creep in.

He couldn't have really been that naïve, could he? He didn't even know who these people were. Sure, they had come and rescued him from the hands of the Empire, but they had been the ones to leave him behind in the first place. And Zeb and Sabine made their displeasure at his joining of the _Ghost_ crew clear, even it seemed like Kanan and Hera welcomed him fully.

Ezra's stomach growled again, louder and more persistent. He may as well go and see what they had to offer to eat. It was probably going to be rations that were rehydrated. Even though Ezra had no experience of space travel, he had overheard enough pilots back on Lothal to understand that dehydrated rations made up nearly everything pilots consumed while travelling in space. They were cheap and easy to store for long periods of time, which lead to their favorability. They weren't exactly gourmet, but they contained the nutrients needed to get through the day.

Even if that was all they were going to have for dinner that night, Ezra found himself not minding. When he was a young boy he had wanted to try it for the fun of it, but his parents had always refused. Besides, it would be easy to refuse once his stomach couldn't handle anymore.

The door hissed open and Ezra made his way through the hall towards the galley. Passing by the lounge, he saw that Sabine and Zeb were eating their food and laughing at something Chopper must have said. Their laughter quieted down as Ezra passed, and simple talking resumed after Ezra passed through and made it into the galley. Hera and Kanan were discussing something over their plates of food.

"Ezra, grab a plate and dish out as much as you would like. There's plenty to go around, so don't be afraid to dig in," Hera offered, her face smiling kindly to the young teen. She turned back to speak with Kanan across the table, but kept an eye on Ezra.

Ezra picked up a plate and looked at the food prepared. To his surprise, it wasn't rehydrated rations like he had thought they would be. Although, he probably wouldn't know much of a difference after the rehydration happened. But the lack of discarded packets in the trash and the fresh fruit waiting in a bowl told him otherwise. His eyes widened and gave a quick glance back to the adults behind him before hesitantly reaching for the food. He dished a small amount of the stew onto his plate and selected one of the smaller bits of fruit.

Turning around, he saw that Hera had moved from where she had been sitting to open up a side of the table for him. She now sat with Kanan.

"Have a seat Ezra." She gestured towards where she had just vacated.

Ezra hesitated only briefly before sitting down. He poked at the food he had chosen before he began to lift it to his mouth and begun eating.

As he chewed he found his eyes inexplicably filling with tears. And he didn't understand why. It wasn't like this was anything different than what they normally would do. They had just left from the space port. Any perishable goods would need to be eaten as soon as possible, lest they go bad. There was no reason to think that they would do anything special just because they picked up a random kid like him. Even if it appeared he had the ability to use the Force.

"Ezra, is everything all right?"

"Yeah kid, I didn't think my cooking was that bad."

Ezra shook his head and stared at his now empty plate. There really hadn't been that much food there, yet he felt fuller than he had been in years. And it was hot food. And fresh fruit that hadn't been dug from a trash compactor. And there was a real bed, entirely set aside for him. He wouldn't have to worry about freezing in the middle of the night. And while some of the crew may not exactly like him, Ezra never got the impression that they would be out to get him when his back was turned.

Except perhaps Chopper, but the droid didn't seem to like anyone except perhaps the captain.

Ezra looked up to see Kanan and Hera watching him carefully. Their eyes were an identical green color. They smiled in a way like they understood what he had gone through. Perhaps they did.

"I'm sorry. It's just been so long, I've forgotten what it's like to have things like this."

This being the food that filled his stomach. This being the warm, secure place to sleep for the night. This being the people that were willing to risk their lives to come back and safe him from danger. This being something to look forward to in the morning further than finding the food to survive for another day. This being the simple fact someone believed in what he was able to do and wanted him to succeed.

And Ezra found he hadn't found himself so full—so whole—in a very long time.

* * *

 **A/N:** Prompt was Sated. This was only supposed to be a drabble, but then it grew enough for it to stand on its own. It's also my first proper fic within the Star Wars universe, despite my eternal love for it. Ah, well, perhaps I'll write more in the future. Please leave a review.


End file.
